Locksmith

Locksmith

Josh-the-Locksmith

22 Years Experience

Austin, TX

Male, 42

I've been a locksmith since 1998. I did automotive residential & commercial work from 1998 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, I did some residential, but mostly commercial work. I have been project managing & estimating since 2018. I used to locksmith in the Chicago area, now the Austin area.

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327 Questions

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Last Answer on June 24, 2022

Best Rated

i have a Papaiz 322 storm door lock and i want to replace it. i'm unable to remove the screw that is in the handle so that i can't remove take the lock off the door. i thought about drilling into the hole to remove the screw. what would you recommend

Asked by jason R. over 9 years ago

There's no easy solution to a corroded & possibly stripped Allen set screw. If you're replacing it anyways, may as well drill the sucker out! Don't be afraid to go a little bigger than the hole. Use a new bit, otherwise you'll get frustrated quickly when you're not getting anywhere. 

Hi Josh - Here is an aesthetic lock question: I am installing a new front door, and I'd like the visible hardware (handle & lock) to be silver on the outside, and bronze on the inside. If I buy two identical sets of hardware from the same manufacturer, one in each color, can I combine appropriate parts from each set to get this look and still have them functioning securely? Thanks for any info!

Asked by Jeanne almost 9 years ago

Yes you can do that. That's not that uncommon actually. If you have the time to wait, you can special order hardware specifiying the color inside & out, as well as handle style. Maybe online retailers, or maybe from your local walk-in locksmith. Not sure what the cost would be.

the shackle plug tool is in the Stanley security solutions catalog for best locks.it has a nylon hammer on one side and some kind of specialty tool on the other side.i'll figure it out....

Asked by bob over 9 years ago

Up until just recently (so I hear), Best products weren't available to locksmiths. Guess their sales have been down & they're trying to expand their market. I hear nothing but complaints about them. Good luck with that tool. 

What are the most common brands for residential locks? I've seen Kwickset, Schlage, Medeco- what else is common? Thx!

Asked by Jason almost 10 years ago

Well Kwikset & Schlage are definitely the most common, but some others I run across are Baldwin, Emtek, Dexter, & Weiser. Medeco & Mul-T-Lock are high security locks, but I wouldn't say they're "common". 

Have you seen the new phone-based remote locks like August.com? Those things have to be the future, right?

Asked by jailbrake over 10 years ago

This is the 2nd 1 I've seen like this. They're definitely going to get more popular, but I think we still have a ways to go before a majority will move away from a standard key. I have found that most people don't care about the few extra seconds they'll save by not having to use keys, & it's not worth the extra cost for a small convenience. Personally I love it & can't wait to see what's next! 

I have a draw on my desk that has a lock and we used a skeleton key but now misplaced it. Can I buy any skeleton key to open it? I saw a lot on eBay .

Asked by Chrystal over 9 years ago

Yes if you can buy a batch of different skeleton keys, try that. They come in all different sizes & shapes, you'll probably find 1 that will worK if you try enough. Worst case scenario, call or bring it into a well-established lock shop. They should have a lot to try as well. They can also be custom made using blanks, but not a lot of locksmiths do that these days.  

I lost the key to my.sentry safe v330. It has since been discontinued. Can I pick the lock or should I take it to my local locksmith. I need important papers out of it asap!

Asked by Vicki almost 10 years ago

You local locksmith might be able to pick or drill it open. You might have to buy a new safe after that. Luckily it's a cheap safe.